Troy Merritt is having the week of his career thus far at the RBC Heritage. Merritt tied the course record Friday with a 10-under-par 61 at Harbour Town Golf Links, and increased his lead Saturday.
With only one top 10 so far this season, a win would certainly change Merritt's life. Not only would a win get him into all of the summer's major tournaments — and next year's Masters — it would also give him automatic two-year full status on the PGA Tour.
It won't be easy with players such as Matt Kuchar and Jordan Spieth breathing down his neck on a tight course that can be difficult if you're making nervy swings. Merritt holds a three-shot lead heading into Sunday's final round and will be in a four-hour battle to slip on the winner's plaid jacket.
Here's a look at what Merritt and his challengers need to do to win:
Troy Merritt (-14) — He showed Saturday he can battle back from adversity when he birdied the ninth hole after a double bogey on the eighth. Blips like that are likely to happen again for a player with limited experience playing in the final group on Sunday. The most important thing for Merritt will be to stay within himself, and not press, even if he sees a name flying up the leaderboard — like a certain Masters champion.
Jordan Spieth (-9) — Starting five shots back won't be a problem if Spieth plays like he did on Friday. He was understandably flat in the first round but has shown his Masters form the last two days. Spieth should play freely a few groups back from the leaders, and will be trying to post a score the others can't reach.